stringer bell

I agree that looking at the roster on Opening Day is a bit shortsighted because changes will happen. However, whoever makes the 25-man will get opportunities and with opportunities are both a chance to lose your current job and a chance to be promoted. I imagine Escobar will start quite often in April, as he did last year, and if he plays well, he keep getting many opportunities. The same would be true for Presley, Pinto and whoever is the 25th man (Parmelee, Bartlett, Colabello). Colabello would have a role as RH DH and would be the backup 1b, Bartlett would be a second utility infielder and (I guess) a potential backup outfielder, and Parm would back up the outfield corners, first base and DH. Truthfully, if Parmelee makes the club there's not a real defined role for another LH hitting corner OF except to back up the best player on his infrequent days off.

The Twins have a good reputation still within Major League Baseball. That is probably from their success through 2010 on limited budgets and with only middle to late first round draft choices. Things have gone sour since 2010, everyone can agree with that. It is embarrassing to see the parade of ex-Twins at All-Star games, especially those that were given away for next to nothing or allowed to leave as free agents without a serious effort to re-sign them. I am among those that believe that the Twins' front office and specifically Terry Ryan knows more baseball than us rubes. I also know that I'm not in an inner circle that knows why they have made the moves they've made. I would like the organization to be a little more up front with us fans, perhaps admitting that they have made mistakes in acquiring talent, but I doubt I'll see this from the current brass. I also would like to see a little less poisoning of the well when it comes to certain players (Kevin Slowey comes to mind), but I think all organizations do that to some degree. I also believe that a portion of the team's misfortune comes from bad luck. Sometimes, a perfectly logical defensible move doesn't work out and the Twins have been victims of that in that past several years. I expect their luck to change soon and abetted by premium talent, they should improve. I had hoped that last year would be a transition year. It looks like my hopes for last year are doubled down on 2014.

I saw Watts pitch in an intrasquad game and he didn't look good at all. He seemed to push the ball rather than throwing it and everything seemed to tumble rather than break. Arm trouble?

While Colabello has performed better in the spring and a RH bat seems to fit better off the bench, I really can't get Colabello 2013 off my mind. Almost all the time last year, he looked lost. Colabello looked pretty sharp at first when I was watching, but his hits were off minor leaguers and early in the spring. FWIW, BBRef says Colabello has faced AAA pitching (8.2). We know he can hit Triple A pitching.

Yes, but Cuddy could hit and he didn't ever play catcher. Anyway--I don't like the concept of three catchers unless Herrmann is a credible hitter. I think the Parm/Kubel decision is a tough one. Neither has shown much this spring and perhaps the loss of the loser won't be traumatic. I also like Scott Diamond. I think at some point again he is going to be an effective starting pitcher, but I don't think it will be with the Twins. To me, he isn't a bullpen guy, so if the Twins put him there, they are stashing him, and that doesn't benefit either the team on the field or the player. I hope the brain trust can find a trade partner and get something for Mr. Diamond.

Willingham and Arcia are absolute keys to the offense. If they both hit like last year, the club will be worse offensively. There are reasons to expect turnarounds for both, but no promises. The Twins will need to hit homers since they really don't have a lot of players good at producing runs in other ways. Arcia and Willingham need to hit homers and drive in runs. Pitching should be better, but it will still probably be below average. We've ignored the possibility that members of the bullpen will regress. I believe that will happen, but that the starters and the back end of the bullpen will improve.

I think this is the worst opening-day roster of position players. The pitching will probably be better. I do hope to see a major transformation of the team by mid-season. Trades and demotions will need to be made. Youth will have to be served. The staff should be better and the second line should be much better than last year's dreck. The club needs to obtain talent and play talent.

While I am not in favor of Herrmann making the club, he does add versatility and has had a nice spring himself. I believed that Colabello failed his tryout last year and wouldn't be looked at seriously to make the club this spring, but he has stepped forward and some have stepped backward. It should be noted that most of his lusty hitting was early and off minor leaguers (Luke Hughes anyone?).

Parmelee in left. Pinto hitting second.

Almost everyone will use at least 12 pitchers. It sometimes seems stupid to me, but that is the way the game is now. Setup guys only work in the eighth, closers only work the ninth, and many clubs employ a specialist. That said, the Twins added three reputed innings-eaters to their rotation and have no restrictions that I know of on any of their pitchers. That being the case, twelve pitchers should be plenty.

I like Hicks as a center fielder. I think he can develop to be a fine defensive player, but he wasn't a fine defensive center fielder last year. Both his jumps and his routes need work, but he has the range and arm to be very good and I am sure his routes will improve with experience. I have said on other threads that I am not sure if his bat will play at a corner and remain unconvinced. I think the best choice for left field is Alex Presley. While he will get starts in center, I expect he will get many starts in left, with Willingham DHing. Presley might be Tyneresque, but he has would have plenty of range for left and when he is in the lineup, he would be the best alternative to lead off, with Dozier hitting second. BTW, if Hicks ends up playing a corner, I expect it will be left. The only place where his arm is "wasted" is that runners don't routinely go first to third on singles to left. However, left field is bigger so his speed and range would be on display more there than the smaller right field at TF.

I don't know if Willingham is done or not. While it hurts the club to carry him in left field, I think the more important thing is his hitting. He is the lynchpin of a questionable lineup. If he doesn't hit, it neutralizes their best hitter and puts undue pressure on Arcia, and perhaps Plouffe. The one thing in Willingham's (and the Twins') favor is that the Hammer is in the walk year of his contract. Historically, guys in walk years flourish and that helps Willingham getting a new contract and building trade value.

That is the only team that is worse than them.

Plouffe's 39 day explosion was the product of adjustments that he made, as well as a torrid stretch where he centered a inordinant of pitches. The pitchers adjusted and Plouffe hasn't proven he can make a satisfactory adjustment to those adjustments. I actually thought he hit the ball very well the last couple weeks of last season, but he wasn't getting many (any) over the fence. He needs to be patient enough to get his pitch and also become a better two-strike hitter, thereby reducing his K rate to an acceptable level. If he becomes a tougher out and works the count better, I believe he will get more pitches to drive and dramatically increase his long ball total.

1) All baseball fans that have the capacity to visit Spring Training should do so. Hope springs eternal, but more than that, fans can watch drills and minor league games and scrimmages. At Fort Myers, we can sit next to minor league prospects, scouts, and knowledgeable fans. In past years, TR was on the premises and talked with fans sharing much more than makes the papers. It is great to watch both the top prospects and the most anonymous players. Autographs are fairly easy to get and the atmosphere is almost as warm as the weather. 2) Joe Mauer is where he should be, batting third and playing first base. After the concussion, Mauer needed to get out from behind the plate. First base is the proper position for him to transition to at this point. Mauer is a three-time batting champ and former MVP--he is a great hitter. He needs to be able to have the best chance to hit and stay strong and being a first baseman fills that bill. Further, I think that by midseason Mauer will be a fine defensive 1B. He still has good reactions, has a long reach and is accustomed to digging balls out of the dirt and he has played more than 50 games at first. Catching has robbed Mauer of most of his speed and he wouldn't cover much ground in the outfield. Perhaps he could have moved to third, but Miguel Sano lurks and he has never played the position. The team's best hitter should hit for a little more power and in my book profiles as the ideal 3-hole hitter. 3)A position player other than Buxton or Sano will develop into an All-Star for the Twins. DH Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker, Danny Santana, and Josmil Pinto are some names in the upper minors. Vargas is drawing comparisons to Big Papi, Santana has shown an improved hit tool at a position of need and Pinto is on the cusp after a very good September audition. Walker is a strong, raw talent. There are many more talented prospects and I think someone will break through in the next couple of years. 4)Pitching will be the strength of the Twins minor league teams. Signing three free agents has the side effect of packing each level with high quality arms. From Cedar Rapids to Rochester, the Twins will have guys who perhaps merit competing at a higher level. In other years, Tonkin, Guerra, Pressly, and the loser(s) in the fifth starter competition would be on the major league roster. Thielbar would be a lock most years, but it is possible he will be optioned to Rochester. 5)Defense and lack of speed will be glaring weaknesses for the Twins in 2014. Florimon, Dozier, and Hicks have good, not great, speed. Most of the rest of the squad lacks speed and several are glacier-like. The gloves at third, left and right are below-average and it is probably more important for a pitch-to-contact staff that the Twins will field. 6)The 25-man roster going north this year will change dramatically over the course of this year. Given the contracts of the players, some obvious replacements making their way up the ladder in the minors, and (finally) pressure from within to start winning, transactions are bound to happen. I foresee Willingham being traded before or at the deadline. Plouffe and Parmelee, among others, could be traded off. Several pitchers should be available out of the bullpen, plus Correia. The Twins also have the payroll space to add a veteran for a prospect to fill a hole (SS or C, perhaps DH or OF). 7)There will be positive surprises. This is a karma thing. So many things have gone so wrong for the last three years, it seems only right and fair that the Twins have positive performances from unexpected sources. Maybe it will be Chris Colabello, maybe one of the Jasons, maybe a call-up like Danny Santana comes up and performs like an All-Star. Perhaps someone acquired in a trade will overperform. 8)Power will be key. With little speed, questionable defense, and many questions about the pitching, the Twins need to slug better. They have guys--Arcia, Willingham, Plouffe--need to hit balls over the fence, hopefully with more than a few runners on. Many guys have OK or better power--Mauer, Pinto, Hicks, Dozier, Kubel, Colabello or Parmelee--so that if they hit homers, the Twins might produce a few more runs than projected and that could mean quite a few more wins. 9)There will be debuts of significant players. I think we'll see Alex Meyer and Byron Buxton. Santana has a good shot to start his ML career and I expect the proceeds of a trade to get their first looks in a Twins uniform. 10)We Twins fans will feel much more optimistic about the team one year from now.

1) All baseball fans that have the capacity to visit Spring Training should do so. Hope springs eternal, but more than that, fans can watch drills and minor league games and scrimmages. At Fort Myers, we can sit next to minor league prospects, scouts, and knowledgeable fans. In past years, TR was on the premises and talked with fans sharing much more than makes the papers. It is great to watch both the top prospects and the most anonymous players. Autographs are fairly easy to get and the atmosphere is almost as warm as the weather. 2) Joe Mauer is where he should be, batting third and playing first base. After the concussion, Mauer needed to get out from behind the plate. First base is the proper position for him to transition to at this point. Mauer is a three-time batting champ and former MVP--he is a great hitter. He needs to be able to have the best chance to hit and stay strong and being a first baseman fills that bill. Further, I think that by midseason Mauer will be a fine defensive 1B. He still has good reactions, has a long reach and is accustomed to digging balls out of the dirt and he has played more than 50 games at first. Catching has robbed Mauer of most of his speed and he wouldn't cover much ground in the outfield. Perhaps he could have moved to third, but Miguel Sano lurks and he has never played the position. The team's best hitter should hit for a little more power and in my book profiles as the ideal 3-hole hitter. 3)A position player other than Buxton or Sano will develop into an All-Star for the Twins. DH Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker, Danny Santana, and Josmil Pinto are some names in the upper minors. Vargas is drawing comparisons to Big Papi, Santana has shown an improved hit tool at a position of need and Pinto is on the cusp after a very good September audition. Walker is a strong, raw talent. There are many more talented prospects and I think someone will break through in the next couple of years. 4)Pitching will be the strength of the Twins minor league teams. Signing three free agents has the side effect of packing each level with high quality arms. From Cedar Rapids to Rochester, the Twins will have guys who perhaps merit competing at a higher level. In other years, Tonkin, Guerra, Pressly, and the loser(s) in the fifth starter competition would be on the major league roster. Thielbar would be a lock most years, but it is possible he will be optioned to Rochester. 5)Defense and lack of speed will be glaring weaknesses for the Twins in 2014. Florimon, Dozier, and Hicks have good, not great, speed. Most of the rest of the squad lacks speed and several are glacier-like. The gloves at third, left and right are below-average and it is probably more important for a pitch-to-contact staff that the Twins will field. 6)The 25-man roster going north this year will change dramatically over the course of this year. Given the contracts of the players, some obvious replacements making their way up the ladder in the minors, and (finally) pressure from within to start winning, transactions are bound to happen. I foresee Willingham being traded before or at the deadline. Plouffe and Parmelee, among others, could be traded off. Several pitchers should be available out of the bullpen, plus Correia. The Twins also have the payroll space to add a veteran for a prospect to fill a hole (SS or C, perhaps DH or OF). 7)There will be positive surprises. This is a karma thing. So many things have gone so wrong for the last three years, it seems only right and fair that the Twins have positive performances from unexpected sources. Maybe it will be Chris Colabello, maybe one of the Jasons, maybe a call-up like Danny Santana comes up and performs like an All-Star. Perhaps someone acquired in a trade will overperform. 8)Power will be key. With little speed, questionable defense, and many questions about the pitching, the Twins need to slug better. They have guys--Arcia, Willingham, Plouffe--need to hit balls over the fence, hopefully with more than a few runners on. Many guys have OK or better power--Mauer, Pinto, Hicks, Dozier, Kubel, Colabello or Parmelee--so that if they hit homers, the Twins might produce a few more runs than projected and that could mean quite a few more wins.

LH and breathing. He wasn't dreadful in the spring like Worley and I don't think he was as dreadful during 2013. I'm pretty sure that Diamond would be claimed and he might net something in return in a trade.

It is spring training but it was a competition and Gibson clearly outpitched Worley and Diamond. Certainly, Deduno has also pitched well, but as pointed out above, he's not completed a season yet and he is 30 years old. Let's face it, there are no sure things in the rotation. Nolasco and Correia have been very durable, but often without great results. Pelfrey is coming off a poor season while recovering from TJ and Hughes is coming off a bad season in the Big Apple. The odds of all staying healthy and pitching well enough to stay in the rotation is pretty high. Meyer, Deduno and others will get starts. I personally haven't given up on Diamond, although he hasn't pitched that well this spring. I do see that his ceiling isn't that high and if he is lost there are three lefties in Rochester with similar profiles.

Stone Crabs--tasty seafood. Port Charlotte--inaccessible and rude.

Back to the game--non-existent offense continues.

On a more serious note, consider the Phillies winter home in Clearwater. It is really easy to get to and Brighthouse (?) Field is very nice. It's probably at least a half hour longer drive, but it is pretty.

As you might know, my family is boycotting the stadium in Port Charlotte. We still approve of Stone Crabs.

Beresford isn't the little guy I thought he would be. He has fairly good size and when I was watching, he hit a couple of BP homers. I saw him play an intra-squad minor league game and he showed a really good glove and very good range. If he can demonstrate a little sock, he could have a major league future.

I'm a "Cross-eyed Mary" fan myself. "Living in the Past" is my mantra, as well.

Port Charlotte is a pretty short trip, but yes, bringing the whole team on the bus is unusual. On another thread Antony's comments have been analyzed to death, but I'll say this: There were jobs open for the taking and many individuals have not done the job. I'm looking at Parm, Presley, Kubel, and Bartlett in particular.